Optical switch

Details Optical switch Optical switch

1999-03-10

2001-11-27

Evans, F L (Department: 2877)

Optical: systems and elements

Optical modulator

Light wave temporal modulation

C359S108000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06323983

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a saturable absorption type optical switch and a method for controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to this kind of saturable absorption type optical switch, its operation theory is disclosed in Technical Digest of CPT' 98 (CPT' 98=International Topical Workshop on Contemporary Photonic Technologies), “Optical noise reduction by a semiconductor waveguide saturable absorber”, Yoichi Hashimoto et al., pp 215-216, Jan. 12-14, 1998, in cooperation with IEICE Electronics Society & JSAP & IEEE-LEOS & OSA. However, its practical use has not been argued yet.
Moreover, technologies existing before the present invention was made generally employ an optical switch driven by application of a current or a voltage.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional optical switch.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the conventional optical switch comprises optical divider
101
for receiving a light signal to divide it into signals and outputting them; optical switch
102
for receiving one of the two signals outputted from optical divider
101
and outputting is as a light signal according to a control signal; receiving circuit
103
for receiving the other signal of the two signals outputted from optical divider
101
and extracting a component of the control signal from a signal applied thereto; and control circuit
104
for controlling optical switch
102
depending on the control signal extracted by receiving circuit
103
.
In the optical switch constructed as described above, the control signal for driving optical switch
102
is superposed on the light signal, and the light signal including the control signal superposed thereon is divided by optical divider
101
. The control signal component is extracted by receiving circuit
103
, and control circuit
104
is controlled by the control signal extracted. Thus, optical switch
102
is controlled.
However, since the foregoing conventional optical switch needs a circuit for extracting the control signal and a control circuit for driving the optical switch, the above described conventional optical switch has a problem that a structure of the optical switch becomes complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical switch with simple circuit structure and increased its response speed, and a method for controlling the same.
In the present invention, constructed as described above, a saturable absorption type optical device is used. When an input power of the light signal applied to the optical switch by the saturable absorption type optical switch is at a region where the light signal is attenuated, the light intensity of the control signal is set to the OFF state. When the input power of the light signal applied to the optical switch by the saturable absorption type optical device is at a region where the light signal transmits through, the light intensity of the control signal is set to the ON state. Thus, the light intensity of the light signal to be outputted is controlled.
As described above, since the saturable absorption effect of the saturable absorption type optical device is utilized and the light intensity of the light signal is controlled according to the light intensity of the control signal, the circuit structure of the optical switch can be simplified and its response speed can be increased.
Furthermore, in the present invention, when a transmission path is provided, remote control of the saturable absorption type optical device becomes possible.
Furthermore, since the pass switching section of the optical switch is not mechanically constructed, its reliability is enhanced.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 62-286017 (1987-12-01), None
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patent: 5-107573 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 5-259581 (1993-10-01), None
patent: 5-335691 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 8-82813 (1996-03-01), None
Optics vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 127(9)—133(15).
“Technical Digest” of CPT'98—International Topica 1 Workshop on Contemporary Photonic Technologies), Optical noise reduction by a semiconductor waveguide saturable absorber, Yoichi Hashimoto, et al., pp. 215-218, Jan. 12-14, 1998, In corpe ration with ICICE Electronics Society & JSAP & IEEE-LESO & OSA.

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